Brookfield Country Club (Private)
100 Willow Run, Roswell
770-993-1990; www.brookfieldcountryclub.com
PAR/YARDAGE: Brookfield CC is a par 72 with four sets of tees: Gold (6,801 yards); Blue (6,348); White (6,812) and Green (5,325).
COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 72.9/140 (Gold); 71.0/135 (Blue); 68.9/130 (White); 70.8/128 (Green).
ABOUT THE COURSE: Atlanta based Mike Riley has renovated a number of courses in the metro area in recent years, and his work at Brookfield is among his most successful in enhancing the quality of the layout. Brookfield’s Joe Lee design, which hosted an LPGA event in the late 1970s and early 1980s, had become a bit outdated and needed improvements in several areas, and Riley’s efforts have made it a much worthier test, while also raising the course conditions appreciably. By modern standards, Brookfield remains on the short side, but Riley’s significant renovation work on the greens complexes has helped compensate for the modest yardage by placing more of a premium on the short game. With many of the greens surrounding by areas above or below the level of the putting surface, you will encounter a variety of chips and pitches that require considerable finesse.
Brookfield is a relatively demanding driving course, with a very healthy summer spread of Bermuda rough placing an emphasis on accuracy, which takes precedence over power on all but a hole or two. With its absence of length, Brookfield is a potentially friendly layout, but the course also includes two of Atlanta’s most formidable par 4s, as well as a par 5 that begins with one of the more uncomfortable tee shots around. The main targets of Riley’s renovation were the greens complexes, which are now well guarded by sand and have been expanded in size, with many of them featuring pronounced multi-tier sections. Putting up or chipping down is no bargain, and there are some spots around the greens that will defy any hopes of getting up and down. Even though the back nine includes three of the four par 5s, the front side is more conducive to low scores, with the stretch from 12 to 17 including a series of demanding shots from the tee and fairway with plenty of trouble in play.